If you missed my article on Olorun, you can find it here.
The Morrigan is one of my favorite Celtic goddesses. She is a tripartite goddess, meaning that she is both a single entity and made up of three parts. The three that make up the Morrigan are Anu the maiden, Danu the mother (who is my favorite), the Tuatha De Danann, and Badb, the crone; in my understanding, Some say it is Macha, Danu, and Nemain.
Another spelling is Morrigu. Morrigan’s name means “Great Queen” or “Phantom Queen,” depending on the Old or Middle Irish pronunciations. Her mother is Ernmas, a mother goddess. Her sisters are Eriu, Banba, and Fodla. Some say Anu, Danu, and Badb are also her sisters. Morrigan’s husband is Dadga, a king of the Tuatha De Danann, which is perfect because she is responsible for them. She helped defeat the Firblogs and Fomorians. Dadga and Morrigan had a child, Adair.
Morrigan’s symbol and animal are the crows. The holiday associated with the Morrigan is Samhain. Samhain is the Celtic celebration that Halloween came from. Revenge, magick (magic spelled magick, is to separate illusion from power), priestesses, night, prophecy (for humans and Gods), death, and witches are all in Morrigan’s purview. One of the ways Morrigan protected her people was by blowing fog across the land to help those she helped hide.
Before Morrigan married Dadga, she was in love with Cu Chulainn. He was a great warrior that helped win many battles. Cu Chulainn didn’t want Morrigan in return, so she set out to get her revenge. It wasn’t to dye her hair and get a killer look. As a shapeshifter, she tried several forms to stop him in his tracks. In fact, he hurt her body. When that didn’t work, she took the form of an old woman. When he came upon her, she gave him three drinks from her cow. These drinks strengthened him, and he blessed her. These blessings healed her. When cured, she revealed herself and offered him a prophecy. The prophecy spoke of his death. She also washed his armor which was unfortunate. It is considered a death omen. In the end, Cu Chulainn tied himself to a rock so he would die in an upright position. Everyone knew he was dead when a crow, the Morrigan, landed on his shoulder.
Morrigan is not a Goddess you should cross, whether in her single or triple form. However, she has magick and warrior skills on her side. Morrigan can kill you from afar or up, close and personal. She is not all bad, just as she is not all “good.” I believe that with her, she matches your energy. Being a goddess, however, she has you outgunned. Think you can beat her on the battleground? Let me know in the comments below. Until next time…
